


Triangle Tactics

by Iserlohna



Category: Ginga Eiyuu Densetsu | Legend of the Galactic Heroes
Genre: Academy Era, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Banter, Bisexual Characters, Developing Relationship, Explicit Sexual Content, Friends to Lovers, M/M, Multi, Pining, Resolved Sexual Tension, Threesome - F/M/M, background Dusty Attenborough/Yang Wenli UST implied
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-14
Updated: 2021-02-14
Packaged: 2021-03-15 07:34:58
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,349
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29432520
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Iserlohna/pseuds/Iserlohna
Summary: Jean Robert meets Empty Handed Yang and things in school life and relationships become a little more interesting than friendship usually is.
Relationships: Jessica Edwards/Jean Robert Lappe/Yang Wenli
Comments: 2
Kudos: 7
Collections: Chocolate Box - Round 6





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [rosecake](https://archiveofourown.org/users/rosecake/gifts).



> I set out to write you some slow burn Frederica/Schönkopf/Yang and that's burning so slow that it's still cooking - and this happened instead. I hope you like it.

“That’s all you brought?” Jean Robert asks his new roommate while he watches him put away the things from his tiny bag. A button-down shirt, two t-shirts one additional pair of cargo pants to the one he's wearing, and three books. That is all Yang Wen-li has brought with him to the Academy.

“That’s all I _have_ ,” the other replies and smiles sheepishly, a hand going to the back of his head in an awkward gesture.

Jean blinks at him, wondering if he has heard correctly. Some of the other cadets had been joking about it before Jean had even met his roommate. Desoto and Gareth had talked about little else and tried to get more information from Jean - who at the time had nothing to offer. Now it seems they hadn’t just been spreading outrageous rumors to make themselves look interesting.

“I’m Yang,” the young man before him says and his smile relaxes a little, “Yang Wen-li.” His dark eyes are soft - and maybe a little guarded but he holds out his hand readily to shake Jean's.

“I heard,” Jean answers and laughs. “Empty-Handed Yang. It seems you have made an impression on the senior cadets who gave the tours because, ordinarily, it takes a while before you get a nickname like that. I thought it was a joke when they said you arrived without luggage.” He takes the offered hand and shakes it. “Jean-Robert Lappe. Call me Jean. Everyone does.”

Yang shrugged with that same smile, unfazed by the acquired nickname. He patted a hand on the pack all cadets had been given upon arrival. “I counted on the essentials being provided. It'll be uniforms for most of the day for all of us from now on anyway. No use spending any more money on clothes.”

“And your parents were fine with that?” Jean asked, probing. There was a story there definitely.

“No parents,” Yang says. “My father died recently and... Well, I'm here now because he left me pretty empty-handed in the literal sense of the word.”

Jean feels the immediate urge to apologize. “I'm sorry!” he blurts. "And sorry about your father."

Yang waves him away with the same tempered expression as before but his dark gray eyes soften. “You couldn't have known.”

He learns all about Yang and how he ended up at the Academy to study military history as the only way to study history at all. He also learns in short order that Yang doesn't mind jokes made at his expense when they're made in a friendly spirit; he can get sharp-tongued and speaks his mind when he thinks things are important and doesn't enjoy drills and loathes getting up in the mornings even though he does so grudgingly. He doesn't fit in but at the same time manages to not stand out like a sore thumb. 

Jean lends him a shirt for their first night out, when they get to leave the Academy for a few hours and Yang is so grateful and apologetic about it, that he makes him keep it later. 

“Blue looks much better on you than me.”

“Still,” Yang says, “I'll get the first bit of allowance next month and can buy my own shirts.”

“I know that. Keep it anyway.” 

It's obvious that Yang deserves a little kindness even if he asks for very little.

Yang accepts the gift with a smile but covers the bill for both the next time they go out.

Before long, Jean realizes his roommate is his best friend and the most fascinating person on campus even though his teachers are rarely impressed with him. Some may think of Yang as peculiar, but Jean knows he's unique.

* * *

“He's the smartest guy I know,” he explains to Jessica. “He doesn't want to be a soldier and he only does as much work as he needs to get a passing grade. I know he could be the best student in our year if he wanted to. Well, maybe he would still be a bad shot... But, anyway, it's not just that he isn't interested in anything but his favorite subject, it's like he wants to not be seen as someone with potential.”

“A cadet who doesn't want to be a soldier?” Jessica asks with a comical expression. “What's he going to do when he graduates? Becoming a soldier is where this is leading him, isn't it?”

He laughs loudly. “He has it all planned out. Few years of service and then he'll leave the service.”

She still blinks at him, doubtful. “Will that work out?”

He still smiles. “I know it sounds strange, but... that's Yang.”

“He sounds odd,” she interjects but grins. “But also entertaining.”

“I think he'll go far when he finds something to dedicate himself to. He reads all the time and knows all these weird facts and he just puts them together into practical applications when he needs to. I don't think he knows he's doing it.”

“You sound charmed,” Jessica points out. “You really make me want to meet him.”

“Oh,” Jean Robert says excitedly and grins widely because he has already been making plans to introduce the two most important people in his life to one another. “You'll like him!”

* * *

It figures that the two of them manage to meet right before he gets to introduce them to each other. He isn't wrong though. Yang leaves an impression and Jessica likes him instantly – and it goes both ways. The three of them spend a nice afternoon at a café and later Jessica messages him to say: “I understand why you like him so much.”

* * *

“I really think you could do better,” Jean says thoughtfully. “Sooner or later you'll have to use a gun in service and it might just save your life.”

“I have no talent for it,” Yang contradicts and winces when he tastes the black tea from his Styrofoam cup. The teabags they're providing in the cafeteria are never Yang's favorite, but the new brand they're giving out seems to be even worse. Jean would nudge his friend to get some coffee instead if he wouldn't know that's a lost cause. Yang loathes coffee more than bad tea. 

“Also you have no interest in it,” Jean points out after a moment and grins to take the sting out of his words. 

Yang shrugs. “As long as I don't aim for infantry service I really don't see the point. And what use would I be there? And see it this way, if the ship I'm on is boarded we have lost already. Best thing I can do then is not be the one they want to kill and surrender quickly.”

Jean laughs. It's all hypothetical at the moment. Maybe Yang will never make it out of the back offices at headquarters.

A cadet Jean hasn't seen before walks up to them with a tray of food and stands behind Yang stiffly for a moment as if he's summoning up all his courage before clearing his throat to get Yang's attention. “Thank you for last night,” he says and Jean gives him the once over before he raises an eyebrow at Yang. 

He knows Yang was on guard duty last night.

“What trouble are you in?” Jean asks Yang bemusedly when his friend only shrugs. 

Yang grins back and then winks at the cadet. “Nobody is in any trouble because nobody did anything worth reporting.”

“Obviously,” the cadet replies and seems to take their friendly banter as an invitation to sit down.

His name is Attenborough. It turns out Yang caught him when he tried to sneak back onto the grounds after curfew and in typical Yang fashion hadn't played by the rule book. “Can you imagine what a ruckus it would have been to report him?” Yang asked. “That would have been actual _work_. And standing guard all night is work enough in my book.”

“I'm sure this has nothing to do with the fact that we got back late ourselves once or twice last year.”

“What's not in the records never happened. Believe me, that's how history works.”

“You would know.”

“Oh, I know,” Yang said and waved at him before hurrying to the only class he actually ever is in a hurry to get to – history!

Over the next weeks, Jean sees more of Attenborough. The cadet is only one year behind them and from what Jean observes he's popular with his peers – but something about Yang has drawn him in and makes him spend more time around Yang than his other friends. When Yang and Attenborough tease each other incessantly, Jean thinks, maybe the attraction goes both ways. They banter and complain, and poke fun at everything around each other when they're together. Jean learns early on that Attenborough much like Yang hadn't had plans to become a soldier either. “It's my dad's fault,” he snaps, a cloud of anger settling over his normally amiable expression. “He made a promise that nobody ever told me I would have to keep. It's like I'm an aristocrat's bride who didn't know she was promised to marry a stuffy husband. So here I am. Worst thing about it is that my dad doesn't even like the army... It's ridiculous.”

“Well,” Jean replies. “You two have something in common then. Soldiers against your will.”

“I wasn't promised to army service,” Yang says. “I sold my soul for an education.”

“Ah, a young person without a dowry has to ensure their future in some way,” Attenborough jokes.

“I would have taken the rich widower over this, but sadly I'm neither attractive enough nor have I any talent for being someone's trophy husband.”

Jean laughs. “You do not,” he agreed.

“He's handsome,” Attenborough disagrees. “And kind. I'm sure a rich widow or widower would have been happy to give you a chance.”

“Until they'd have to live with me and realize I'm even worse at keeping a home in order than I am at being a soldier.”

Jean agrees readily: “I live with him. He's right. It would all have fallen apart right away.”

Whereas Yang actually found ways to be a decent if slightly below average cadet out of necessity. He rises to a challenge when he has to pass his classes to keep himself from dropping out.

He smirks at Yang and notices with a pang, that there's an equally fond smile directed at his friend from the other side of the table.

* * *

Jean takes Jessica to a café on a day when he's off duty early and Yang has been called to the administrative offices to discuss his career path. For a while now Jean feels that at least headmaster Sitolet is on to Yang, perceiving something in him that most other people overlook. 

“So, Yang made a new friend?”

“I think Attenborough has a crush,” Jean says before he can stop himself.

“Ah,” Jessica says and beams sweetly at him. “That's why you're scowling when you talk about him.”

“What?”

“He has a crush on Yang.”

He clarifies: “What do you mean that's why I scowl?”

She grins wider. “Jean,” she responds, “I know you and I, we've been circling each other for a long time and we've probably been in love long before we both knew it. But you can't tell me you haven't noticed you like him too?”

It takes him a moment of staring at her relaxed smile to realize she isn't talking about Attenborough but about him and Yang. Words elude him for a moment that stretches into an uncomfortable silence. “I love you...” he says carefully.

“I know,” she says and smiles back. “But you like him too. That's not... Well, maybe I like him too. There's nothing wrong about it, is there?”

He blinks, tries to call up Yang's face in his mind's eye, and recall the expressions, the conversations of the last few days, and look for all the signs he may have missed out on.

“Nothing wrong about it,” he agrees. After all, the is Terneuzen and they live in the Free Planets Alliance where they don't have the same ancient doctrines about sexuality and relationships – even though the war has put high pressure on young people and women especially in recent years to start families, bear children and live a conservative lifestyle for the sake of society. Yang has commented on it a couple of times as something that doesn't bode well if society keeps being stuck in that mode. 

Finding some signs in his memories of Yang that suggest Jessica is right, he throws her a smile and he takes her hand.

She squeezes his fingers.

It's not like he's going to act on his feelings towards his friend just because he and Jessica have both worked out it would be okay if it were to happen. He takes a sip of coffee and contemplates the thought.

“So,” she concludes, “I gather that means you haven't slept with him yet?” 

He nearly spits out the mouthful of lukewarm liquid, and then chokes on it, coughing so violently that Jessica has to jump up to pat him on the back hard.

* * *

Yang knows what's riding on the simulation match and it's not even surprising that he's been matched with the top student of their year. 

“I need the credit points and a good grade to make up for my not so good ones,” he says with a shrug. Passing and graduation are like a simple game of math to him.

“I know you can beat him. You watched his last to battle simulations.”

“He's good with conventional strategy.”

“There you go,” Jean Robert tells him and pats him on the shoulder. “Conventional strategy. That means you have already figured him out.”

“I think I do, but I don't want to be stuck on my own viewpoint. He might still take me by surprise.”

* * *

Wideborn loses to Yang and it's the talk across campus for days. Who is that guy who beat their best and brightest?

Yang avoids the hushed whispers by not leaving their room when he doesn't have to. 

A short time later, the history department closes down and Yang is pushed into the strategy department based on his success against Wideborn. 

“Success,” Yang grumbles. He's sitting at the edge of the bed. “All I've managed is to deviate even more from my own plans for the future.”

He's not angry, but more subdued and resigned than usual. 

“Yang,” Jean says before sitting down beside him and touching his shoulder lightly, “this isn't a setback. This is a chance. You're good at this and you can still work it out.”

“Sure,” Yang agrees half-heartedly. “I'll have to. I have no money to drop out and pay back my tuition now.” 

“Don't think about that. Maybe you don't see it yourself yet, but you're brilliant and...”

Yang turns to look at him, and that's when Jean realizes they are way too close; their noses are nearly touching and their mouths are only inches apart. His hand is still on Yang's shoulder. In the half-dark of the room, Yang's black eyes glitter with surprise and his mouth hangs open just a little...

It's the perfect invitation.

Jean can't refuse it – not with Jessica's words ringing in his ears. “ _Why haven't you slept with him yet? I would have! You live with him for heaven's sake!_ ”

Leaning in is a gamble, but when their lips touch the risks don't matter anymore. It's electrifying. 

Yang's mouth is already open and Jean only has to draw him in with a hand on his chin to lean back – Yang has grown to be a few inches taller than Jean is, but it still makes for the perfect angle – and he dives in, muffling a surprised moan that rises in Yang's throat.

He fully expects Yang to push him away, but then Yang lets himself fall back onto the bed, his arms grabbing Jean's shoulders to pull him along, and neither of them is really prepared for the intoxicating mix of desire and surprise that makes them both rush right into the fire. They kiss like that, too fast and too sloppy for far too long before Jean realizes his uniform pants are uncomfortable tight and Yang's nearly panting already, face redder than Jean has ever seen it even when he's forced to run laps.

“We can't,” Yang gasps. “Jean, we can't... What about Jessica? You love Jessica and...”

He kisses Yang once more. “Don't think, it's...”

But Yang's hand presses firmly again his chest, pushing him up. “I can't _not_ think. It's not... I just can't stop thinking, okay? I don't know what prompted this...”

“You,” Jean shoots back and his chest is heaving with heavy breaths too and he refuses to sit up, hands propped up against the mattress to both sides of Yang's face. He just wants to kiss Yang again. The feel of his lips is so different from Jessica's...

“I didn't mean to,” Yang says, apology lacing his tone like he's the one who should know better, the one who needs to keep this under control. He's like that in tactical simulations and when he needs to make tough decisions. 

Jean wants mischievous, sharp-tongued Yang here with him right now. 

“Didn't mean to? But you wanted to?” he asks and Yang doesn't meet his eyes. “Didn't mean to for the same reason that you look at Jessica like she's the best thing in the world but also someone you shouldn't be looking at like that.”

“What?” Yang blinks. And that's a success. Because it's easy to startle him but hard to make him admit something he's holding close to his chest. Yang's surprised that someone can look at him and guess his secrets when he's been trying hard not to come between Jean and Jessica or let his feelings show.

“Am I wrong?”

Yang looks to the side, still not meeting his eyes. It makes him look vulnerable, exposed, even though he's looking away to guard himself, put up new walls. 

_I broke through an important defense line. He's regrouping mentally_ , Jean thinks, not surprised that Yang, who can come off as weird and awkward in social situations, would tackle emotions the same way he approaches a hypothetical war zone.

“I'm not wrong,” Jean concludes. “You're attracted to both of us. We're both attracted to you. Do you want to know who figured it out? Because it wasn't me.”

That gets a reaction. Yang's head turns back and he stares up at him in the dark.

The desire has ebbed a little with the tension and Jean finally sits up with a heaving sigh. 

“As she's the one who figured it out,” Jean says, “maybe I should let Jessica do the convincing.”

* * *

They don't talk about it for all of the next day and things are delicate for the first few hours of their schedule. Jean tries to give Yang some space. He waits for Jessica to call Yang and lets the two of them decide when to meet up and figure this out.

“You do realize you're my best friend and even if you decide this isn't what you want, I would still want to be your friend,” he asks when they get into the driverless taxi they've called. Because that's something he needs to be sure of. 

“I want that too,” Yang answers and even for his sometimes quiet self, he's extremely withdrawn for the rest of the ride. “I don't want this to change anything between you two,” he states shortly before they go down the street to the university.

He's not sure what to say to that.

This _will_ change everything between all three of them in some ways – hopefully not in others.

They reach the university dorms and sneak across the lawn to the backdoor that they know will be open. Jessica opens her own room door for them before they can even knock. 

Yang steps in with his head bowed as if he's about to apologize for something and looks away, while Jessica leans up to kiss Jean. They both watch him look uncertainly around the small room, holding each other in a loose embrace while they do it. 

Jessica pulls away first – taking pity on nervous Yang or having designs of her own.

She steps in front of Yang and smiles shyly at him. 

“I'm not sure...” Yang starts, and she pushes him towards the bed and makes him sit down on the edge of it. 

“We can stop any time,” she suggests. “We hope you won't want to.”

Excitement rises in Jean when he sees Yang blush at her words. He looks from her to Jean and back to her. Standing before him, dressed in her usual style with a mini skirt and blouse but notably without any stockings right now, she strikes a very attractive figure. 

Jean licks his lips and steps closer to the bed too.

“You already got to kiss him,” Jessica declares. “This time I go first.”

Nobody protests – Yang likely because there's not enough time before Jessica is straddling and kissing him deeply. 

Just like that, he's back in their own dorm room, the desire too hot to bear, and his pants are too tight, making him want to act on it... But this time he enjoying his girlfriend making out with Yang who needs a moment before he relaxes into it and carefully places his hands on her hips.

When they pull apart they are both flushed  
and their lips are wet and red. 

Jessica sighs and pushes Yang's hands down her sides a bit, encouraging him to touch her bare skin.

“I'm not very experienced,” Yang whispers and he's focusing on a spot on the wall while he admits it. 

“We've never done anything like this before either,” Jean says. 

“Do what feels right,” Jessica suggests and pushes Yang against the mattress, grinding herself deliberately against his crotch until Yang gasps and starts writhing beneath her.

Jean can't take much more of that, as Yang finally allows himself to touch Jessica's legs and reaches under her skirt slowly. In the blink of an eye he's on the bed alongside them, brushing a kiss onto Jessica's cheek, while she helps him to pull Yang into a half-sitting position so Jean can slide in behind Yang's back and help to pull the sweater over Yang'Ss head.

Yang allows it quietly, letting himself be moved like a rag doll, but his eyes are sharp and focused and his cheeks are flushed with excitement. He lets Jessica kiss him again while Jean reaches around for the button and zipper of his pants, opens them, reaches in.

A near sobbing wail is all that Yang gets out, the rest is swallowed by Jessica's lips while Jean starts slowly stroking Yang's cock into a full erection. 

“Everything's in the drawer,” Jessica directs. 

It's clear what she means - condoms, lube... - and it's silently decided between them how this will play out. It's clear from Yang's uncertain glances that this night will be about him, about drawing him out, keeping him between them, and showing him, letting him discover what all of them want and need. 

That's how Jean ends up holding and kissing Yang while Jessica rides their lover until he's a moaning mess, and how Jessica ends up beneath Yang while Jean fingers him carefully, slowly working him open, preparing him and trying to make it as pleasurable as possible. Later that's how the three of them end up a writhing moaning mess together – Jessica guiding Yang back into herself while Jean pushes into him from behind.

“Yes, like this, harder,” Jessica whispers after they find a rhythm, speaking to Yang and Jean at the same time. “I need more, damn, Jean, he needs you to go faster.”

Yang moans surprised when her legs wrap around both of them, pulling them even closer together and Jean obliges.

Jessica's right too. Not long after she and Yang are whining and shouting out their pleasure beneath him in beautiful harmony – and he's so close himself, so close - and then it's too much, too much and the edge is close and beyond and they all collapse in a sweaty heap on Jessica's bed, boneless and satisfied.


	2. Epilogue

Jessica watches the news about El Facil all day on her phone. It doesn't matter if she's distracted. All her students and most of the other teachers are also preoccupied with the threat of Imperial invasion so close. It's harder for Jessica, knowing that Yang is there at the border, that he's right there at the front now for his first assignment.

News trickles in slowly and it drives tears to her eyes. Not knowing is the worst. 

That the fleet got nearly destroyed running from the Imperial forces is the terrible news, that what was left of it had to surrender, that civilians are stuck on El Facil still.

“That's why I didn't want to be a soldier's wife,” she tells herself, even now, wearing Jean's engagement ring and the necklace Yang bought her with his first salary after graduation.

 _What are we going to do if you don't come back?_ she asks herself.

Jean calls. He can't give her details – military secrets are not for her ears however much she thinks this is her business too – but he says: “Switch on News Channel Six.”

She does immediately.

It's footage of Yang recorded from a distance, talking to a crowd of people, while the newscaster explains a young officer evacuated the civilians stuck on El Facil on his own.

“You were doubtful of being with a soldier. How are you feeling now that we're with a hero?” Jean asks.

She can't understand it just yet. 

“I don't much care,” she says, “as long as he's alive.”

But she laughs a bit when she sees a still image of Yang, smiling gawkily, hand scratching his head while he talks to the people at the spaceport.

He's still Yang.

He's still theirs.

And he's coming home.


End file.
